Smut-machine



D. M. VANCE.

SmutMilI.

Patented June 8, 1858.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

D. M. VANCE, OF URBANA, OHIO.

SMUT-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 20,521, dated June 8", 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUNCAN M. VANCE, of Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement on Smut-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, of which Figures 1, and 2, are sectional elevations and Fig. 3, a plan, the same letters referring to like parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention consists in the use of two rubbers made of what is known as smut-mill wire-cloth, which lying one upon the other in an inclined position, receive reciprocating motion by means of connections with two opposite cranks, causing one rubber to move over the face of the other, and act'upon the grain interposed between them. A seed screen is also used made of fine wire cloth which is arranged in two inclined sheets, which descend from the outside, and their approximate inner edges, terminate in and form a slotted opening, through which the screened grain is discharged and directed between the two rubbers at their upper end; and, I also use an air current from an attached rotary fan, the air blast being directed upon either the upper or lower side of the rubbers, and thence through the seed screen and grain sieve above.

In the accompanying drawings a, a is a frame casing of my improved smut machine.

b, is the rectangular frame and wire gauze of a common grain sieve, and 0, c, the frame and finer wire cloth of a grain screen, which being attached to the frame of the sieve b, is suspended from the latter to receive the grain which falls through the meshes of the wlre.

The screen 0, consists of two sheets of the wire gauze each supported on three sides by the common frame, and inclining downward and inward. Their approximating edges form a narrow oblong opening (Z, through which, the grain sliding down the inclined surfaces of the wire cloth escapes. The connected frames of both the screen a, and the sieve b, are suspended by the flexible straps e, e, and the pivot pin and lug g, is a rectangular oblong frame to which is attached on the lower side a sheet of common smut mill wire cloth, together constituting the upper smut rubber of my improved machine. Below this is a similar frame supporting a sheet of the same material, and forming the lower rubber 72.

The frame of it, rests upon the inclined slide rail j, and both 9, and h, are guided in line by the lateral guide boards 7c, 70. At their lower ends the frames 9 and h, are attached to connecting rods Z, Z, which are attached to and worked by two opposite cranks m, m, on a shaft n which receives motion through a pulley 0, connected by a belt 29, with a pulley g on a shaft 1, which last receives motion through a driving pulley 8. Attached to the shaft 1, is a rotary fan i, contained in a fan case a. An air duct 1, directs the air blast from the fan t, upon the upper side and through the interstices of the smut rubbers g, and h, for the removal of the smut as fast as it is rubbed from the grain by the action of the rubbers. By making another suitable opening from the fan case a current of air may be directed below as well as above the rubbers g, and h. 'w, is a passage way for the grain which falls from between the rubbers, and w, is an inclined bottom board'which receives the grain from above, and directs it transversely to the escape way y, opening into the grain receiver into which it falls below.

a, is a connecting rod at one end attached to and worked by a crank 2 on the shaft 11, and, at the other end it is attached to a pivoted elbow a, to another arm of which is fastened a rod Z), which connects with the framev of the grain sieve and screen 6 and 0, and, by which, the latter receive a vibratory motion, as is usual in grain separators and winnowing machines.

0 is an opening through the casing of the machine for the escape of the air blast after its action upon the rubbers g, and h, and the grain screen 0, and sieve b.

At cl represented as an opening, a hopper or other convenience is placed, to conduct the grain down to the sieve b, and the parts below it. I

e is an attached apparatus in extensive use on other smut machines, and is employed to subject the grain which has been acted upon by the rubbers g, and h, to a suction air current. For this purpose, the lower end 3" of one leg of e, is open to the external air below, and, into this opening the rubbed grain descends from the inclined bottom board :0, through the aperture y. In the opposite leg of e, a circular opening 2" around the axis 1", forms a passage way into the fan case u.

f, is dash-board in the upper part of e, and, below, in one side of the angular bottom is an opening g which is closed by the door it.

In operating the machine motion being communicated through the driving pulley s, or its equivalent, the fan t, is caused to revolve, and air is sucked into the case a, through the aperture 2" from the trunk e, to which it is supplied by the external opening j. The crank shaft 12, also revolves giving an alternating reciprocating motion to the smut rubbers g, and h, and also through the crank rod 2, and its connections a lateral shaking motion is given to the grain sieve and screen. Foul grain being conducted upon the sieve b, the straw chafi', and like coarser impurities are retained, and discharged by the air blast through the opening 0 while the grain falls through the meshes of the sieve upon the inclined wire gauze surfaces of the screen 0. Through the finer meshes of this, the cheat and other small foul seeds pass, while the grain escapes through the narrow opening d, and falls between the surfaces of the rubbers g and it. These last being in an inclined position, the weight of the grain causes it to move downward, constantly subjected to the attrition of the wire cloth surfaces, which effectually separates the smut, the dust of which is carried away by the air blast passing through the interstices of the rubbers. The grain falling from the lower end of the rubbers g, and h, passes down upon the bottom board an, and thence through the openings 3 and j into the receiver, below. In the passage of the latter opening, the rubbed grain is subjected to the suction air current which supplies the fan, by which impurities still remaining are further removed by being borne upward, where striking upon the dash board 7, they fall down upon the angular bottom from whence they are removed by hand, through the opening 9.

I do not claim the air suction apparatus 6, nor do I wish to be confined to its use in connection with the other parts of my invention, for though of advantage, it can be dispensed with and external air be admitted directly into the ends of the fan case. Either one or both of the rubbers may have motion, though the best results are produced when both rubbers move in opposite directions.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The reciprocating wire cloth rubbers g, and h, in connection with a rotary fan constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. The double inclined grain screen 0, combined with reciprocating rubbers substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

DUNCAN M. VANCE. Witnesses:

NELSON RHODES, S. A. CLEMENS. 

